The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed.

Back Issue Watch:

This February Heritage Auctions is looking to break a world record for the most expensive comic book sold at public auction with a CGC certified 8.0 issue of Detective Comics #27. If you didn’t know this was the first appearance of Batman in May of 1939 you can go ahead and remove all your nerd stripes from your uniform. Currently, a copy of Action Comics #1—the one that sold to the drummer for the band System of a Down in March of 2009 for $317,200—holds the title for most expensive comic sold at auction. Many are predicting this Detective #27 to go even higher, mainly because demand for Batman’s first appearance his risen even higher than that of Superman’s in recent years. This would be the first time Detective Comics had ever held the title of most expensive comic. According to the CGC Census, there is currently only one other Detective #27 graded at 8.0 and four copies graded higher (three copies in 8.5 and one in 9.2). Like the previous record-setting Action Comics #1, this Detective #27 is also unrestored and is in remarkably good shape. The comic has no pedigree and is reportedly from a mysterious “savvy” collector who built his or her collection in the 1960s and 1970s. Nerds everywhere will be watching this one to finally answer the question: Who is worth more, Batman or Superman?

New Comics Watch:

On Monday morning Marvel Comics sent out a tweet announcing that Siege #1 had sold out. Not a big shock, I know, but further evidence that the giant crossover event still works. Now, to see if Marvel can reclaim the top 5 monthly comics from DC’s Blackest Night crossover. It shouldn’t be too tough, with DC not shipping any Blackest Night tie-ins this month other than the reanimated one-shots of older series.

No second prints this week so let’s get right to the . . .

Speculator Picks of the Week:

These are comics that could sellout very quickly leaving nerds who didn’t get to the comic shop on time scouring the internet and paying ridiculous prices.

Adventure Comics #6: DC

Adventure Comics #6

Solicitation: Johns and Francis Manapul say goodbye (for now) to Superboy with a spectacular 30-page issue! Ever since Superboy returned from the grave, he has been obsessed with Lex Luthor, believing that there must be some good in the master villain somewhere. So for Luthor, it’s time to put up or shut up. With Superman off planet, it’s time to do some good for the planet earth. Superboy is willing to do what it takes to make Lex’s dreams come true, but what Superboy will discover is that one man’s dreams are another man’s nightmares.

Why it’ll go fast: Over in my neck of the woods, there were some pretty negative reports about the Blackest Night tie-in issues of Adventure Comics (issues #4 and #5). I was part of the chorus of boos about the story about Superboy in the real world raining down on the DC office and complaining about the events of Blackest Night. A story that not just “broke the fourth wall” but smashed through it, bringing back memories of the Marvel’s “What If” vol. 1 (1977) #11, when the real Marvel Bull Pen became the Fantastic Four. I’ll forgive a title like “What If” from the 70s, but honestly, we’ve come quite a ways since then, and if Dan DiDio thinks anyone is going to look back at him fondly in the future, he’s wrong. It was an obvious editorial decision to derail Adventure Comics into the terrible Blackest Night two-part story. Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul return to finish the return of Superboy (Conner Kent), and everyone who loved the first three issues will be looking for this one. If they can find it.

Solicitation: After Willow unearths a giant Tibetan goddesses to help in the fight against Twilight and his disposable soldiers, the Slayers are forced to retreat when the goddesses go AWOL and attack indiscriminately. Without powers, the Slayers are unable to keep up the fight against missile fire, grenade launchers and tanks. It would seem that all is lost, and Buffy—all alone—must make her last stand on a battlefield covered in the bodies of friends and foes.

Series artist Georges Jeanty reunites with Buffy creator Joss Whedon for this very special Season Eight one-shot.

Why it’ll go fast:Buffy dominated the comics news cycle last week when it was revealed that Angel was going to be reappearing in the comic. If you’re a Buffy nerd, it was big news. Big enough that I instantly went and bought the issues I was missing. The announcement also launched a firestorm of continuity controversy. While most people have been fighting about Leno and Conan, Buffy and Angel nerds have been trying to figure out whether the IDW Angel series “counts” as Angel cannon. Joss Whedon, writing the lead-in to the Angel story, shouldn’t hurt sales either. Now, is it a coincidence the announcement was made just as Buffy sales began to slip? We may never know.

Solicitation: Can the Imperial Guard actually team up with their hated enemies the Starjammers? They will if they don’t want to be turned into worm bait by the giant decaying corpse they’re trapped in! What horrors has The Fault unleashed now, and is someone else from our universe winning the race to explore this dangerous new zone? Majestor Gladiator will not be pleased!

Why it’ll go fast: The Realm of Kings crossover is selling well for Marvel but is still a fringe title with a cult following. Of the Realm of Kings tie-in titles, this one is least ordered. Last month’s RoK Imperial Guard shipped only 20,641 copies and checked in at number 109 on the top 300 ordered comics list. EBay currently has only one auction running for issue #1 and none of issue #2, meaning this entire series is going to be hard to find soon.

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question below in the “comments” section below. Also, you can follow him on Twitter, where I’m always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming! Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price. And finally, a word to the Federal Trade Commission; all the comics discussed here are purchased solely by the writer, who receives no gifts or free merchandise from any publishers, even though he would graciously accept them.